The Great Playhouse Build of 2011--getting started

I didn't get very far in my year in review, did I? I'm still going to... I have a way of over extending myself. I did a lot of that around Christmas. I did projects galore. There's another project that's been stewing in my head for months. I took the leap this week and started it. It's probably going to take several weeks for me to finish. From this point forward, this project will be known as The Great Playhouse Build of 2011.

So this past fall I was introduced to Ana-White.com  I LOVE Ana-White.com  I've done several small projects, and I've posted pictures of some of them here.  Right around the time I started following her website, Ana posted plans for a Playhouse Loft Bed with Storage Stairs. 

 Before you even go there--yes, I know Emma is far too young for a loft bed.  I've tried to convince myself to wait a few years to build this.  But I can't get it out of my mind!  So I've rationalized reasoned with myself and came up with this.  Emma's bedroom used to be the spare room, with a spare bed.  I set up the nursery while we were in the home study process last year.  I had no idea when we would become parents, so I incorporated the spare bed into the nursery decor.  The bed came in handy throughout her first year during her sleepless nights, so one of us could care for her on one side of the house, and the other could sleep in relative peace on the other side of the house.  There was also the occasional co-sleeping when she was having a bad night.  Now, however, she will have nothing to do with that.  If someone is in her room with her, that must mean it's playtime!  If someone is laying down next to her they must be climbed!  It becomes a game--defeating the purpose of trying to settle her and get some sleep for the both of us.

Our living room is becoming over-run with Emma's toys.  With the crib, dresser, rocking chair, and spare bed in her room, there isn't room for much else.  Her changing table is in the closet just to save on space.  The logical thing to do would be to remove the spare bed, right?  But what do I do with it?  I really don't want to store it in the garage or shed.  I don't care how well I wrap it, I think that's asking for mice or some other nastiness to ruin the bed.  It's a nice mattress.  I really don't want to get rid of it.  Then if I get rid of it, in a couple of years when she's ready for a big bed, then we have to go buy a new mattress.  I hate to do that when we have a perfectly good one now!  (Can you hear the rationalizing reasoning?)

So, she can't use the loft bed now, but she can certainly use the playhouse, right?  And I can store the mattress in the loft of the playhouse.  Sounds like a plan, right?  This is what I've convinced myself.  I don't know why this has been occupying so much of my mind.  I really don't.  It keeps me awake at night.  I must build it.  Then I get ideas.  To save floor space in her room, I'm going to cut out on the end and slide her dresser under it, and build it into the piece.  Then next to that, I can do a little bookshelf.  We have nowhere for storing books right now.  The plans are for a twin size bed, but the mattress we have is full size.  So that requires some modification of the plans.  Because the whole thing is wider, I'm going to add a 4th step to the storage stairs.  Instead of making it a 36 deep flip up storage, I'm going to instead make it a little closet from the inside of the playhouse... maybe for putting dress-up clothes.  Emma loves doors these days.  So I'm going to put a little half door on the front.  I think she'll love it!  I read someone else who built it said she hung little white lights on the inside of it.  Doesn't that sound fun?  I'm thinking maybe rope light.  Oooh, and I'm picturing little shutters next to the window (although I'm not sure there will be room--the window will have to be smaller to make room for the dresser.)  Oh, and a little windowbox with fake flowers.  I have JUST the flowers.  Many many moons ago, like maybe 10 years ago, I was in Bath and Bodyworks.  In the clearance bin they had some super-cute flat metal flowers.  I think they were from a display or something.  I bought several of them hoping to put them in my little girl's room someday.  I'm going to have to dig those out and see if I can make them work.  See what I mean?  I've been stewing about this for months!

I'm guessing this project is going to cost about $250.  That sounds like a lot.  That is a lot.  Ana's website used to be called Knock-Off Wood.  The reason for this is that most of her plans are knock-offs of other way more expensive pieces.  When Ana was making the plans, she used a Pottery Barn bed for inspiration.  From what I can find, Pottery Barn no longer sells the bed, but it looks like it was $1099 plus $175 for delivery, and it didn't have the storage stairs!  Isn't that crazy??  Yowsa!  What I'm making will be far more custom.

So here's what I've accomplished so far.  Friday I painted the 1/2 the wainscot in her room.  I wanted to do it soon, and decided I should do it before I start putting the playhouse in there.  I dislike painting!  I've purchased a fair amount of the lumber.  Because of the $ involved, I'm purchasing things in stages instead of all at once.  The work I do on this has to be around Emma's schedule. So pretty much while she is sleeping, or when Mark is home and not otherwise occupied.  I do need to work on limiting it to mostly while she is sleeping though.  Friday night I started on the shortest segment of the railing.  That was another modification I made-I decided I wanted higher railing around the bed.  I may regret this later when it comes time to change sheets... 

Here is Emma testing the strength of my construction.  It's rotated sideways here, so it looks like more of a ladder than a railing, but you get the idea.

 Once I had the visual of the shortest segment of railing, I felt confident in cutting the rest of the rail slats.

Gotta love the safety equipment--I got myself some rockin' cool safety glasses!

Then I got the longest segment of railing done--the back wall.  I'm pleased with my progress this weekend.  I don't know that I'll do any work on it tomorrow.  Monday I hope to get some more railing built, and painted.  The playhouse is built one wall at a time.  So I'm hoping that I can do most of the painting in the garage, and bring it in and only have to do minor touchup once it's fully assembled.